MEDIA RELEASE

A 65-year-old Hilo man died Saturday (December 31, 2005) from injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle/pedestrian crash on the Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19) in the area of the Wainaku Scenic Point.

The victim was identified as William Alika Travis of a Hilo address.

Responding to a 3:30 p.m. call, South Hilo patrol officers determined that a 2000 Ford pick-up truck was traveling south on Route 19 when the driver ran off the right side of the road struck the victim who was on the shoulder and then overturned.

The driver of the vehicle, a 43-year-old Kamuela man was arrested by Traffic Enforcement Unit officers for Negligent Homicide in the First Degree, Driving Under the Influence of an Intoxicant, Promoting a Detrimental Drug in the Third Degree, Promoting Dangerous Drugs in the Third Degree, five counts of Promoting a Harmful Drug in the Third Degree, Driving While License Suspended/Revoked, No No Fault Insurance and No Registration in Motor Vehicle.

The suspect in this case was released pending investigation after conferring with the Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

The victim was pronounced dead at 5:40 p.m. at the Hilo Medical Center. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

Speed and drug use are believed to be factors in this crash.

This is the 36th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year, compared to 41 at the same time last year.